DAZN CEO: Betting Was a Natural Extension for the Sports Broadcaster

DAZN’s move into sports betting was not a radical departure from its core business but a logical extension of its digital sports strategy, according to chief executive officer Shay Segev.

Speaking during his keynote address at ICE 2026, Segev outlined how DAZN Bet fits into the broadcaster’s broader ambition to become a comprehensive digital hub for sports fans, combining live content, community engagement, commerce and interactive experiences within a single ecosystem.

Drawing on his background in the gambling industry, Segev explained that DAZN’s expansion into betting was driven by the natural overlap between sports consumption and wagering behaviour.

“Someone who bets on Barcelona to win is probably watching Barcelona play,” he said. “And where do they watch? They watch on DAZN.”

Segev described a vision in which DAZN users can seamlessly move between multiple touchpoints on the platform. “I can watch Barcelona. I can chat with my friends as part of communities. I can see if there’s last-minute tickets to buy. I can buy merchandise. I can play some gamified challenges. If I missed games, I can see some personalised highlights. Or I can bet.”

Betting as a complementary product

Segev was keen to stress that DAZN Bet was designed to complement, rather than replace, the company’s broadcasting proposition.

“When you go to DAZN, you go because you like sports and we don’t expect you to bet,” he said. “If you want to bet, it’s a complementary product.”

DAZN Bet first launched in the UK in August 2022, before expanding into Germany and Spain in 2023. More recently, the operator secured a licence in Ontario, with further expansion expected as the brand continues to scale its betting operations in regulated markets.

Italy as a blueprint for convergence

Segev highlighted Italy as a key example of how sports broadcasting and betting can successfully converge within a single platform.

DAZN renewed its exclusive broadcast partnership with Serie A in 2023, securing rights to show every top-flight Italian match until 2029. The company launched DAZN Bet in the country later that year, positioning Italy as a flagship market for its integrated model.

“Italy is clearly a big core market for DAZN,” Segev said. “The Italian market is a €5 billion online gaming and betting industry.

“DAZN is the biggest sport platform in Italy, having the exclusive rights for Serie A for the games. So if you’re an Italian who likes sport, you like football, right? And they can only watch it on DAZN, so they should be able to bet on DAZN. So this is where we’re going with that.”

Regulatory alignment and value for leagues

DAZN Bet is currently active in the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany, with further expansion planned in Canada. Segev emphasised the importance of working closely with regulators and governments to articulate the broader economic value of DAZN’s model.

“In a way, we are almost a little bit of a different beast compared to standard online betting companies, because we’re coming in as a broadcaster,” he explained.

He argued that DAZN’s ability to monetise its platform ultimately benefits sports leagues and clubs by increasing the value of broadcast rights and commercial partnerships.

“In Italy, the government is getting that the more we can monetise our platform, the more we can invest back into the league,” Segev said. “In Italy today, we are by far the number one player for the Italian league. So if you’re Juventus or AC Milan or Inter Milan, a big chunk of the revenues is coming from DAZN, because we’re paying them.”

Segev concluded that a diversified revenue model — spanning subscriptions, advertising, ticketing and betting — creates a virtuous cycle for the sports ecosystem.

“If you can monetise this right, either through subscription, which is our biggest revenue stream by far, through advertising or betting, or through any type of ticketing, then we can pay more for the league. They pay more for the clubs, they can buy better players. And it’s actually very positive for the league,” he said.